The Simulator
by Life-Is-Insanity
Summary: Post ROTF- Wheeljack and Sam have managed to invented something that will better prepare members of NEST against Decepticon attacks. But they need to test it first. So they manage to get the Autobots, Lennox and Epps to be the first ones to try it.
1. The Prolouge

_**Authors Note: For all of those people that had thought I had finally added the second chapter, I'm sorry to disappoint. Please read the Authors Note on my profile page concerning the story (and no, I'm not abandoning it). Hopefully you'll understand.**_

_**Disclaimers: Don't own Transformers. Simple as that. Enjoy!**_

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_December 12 2014- Network Elements: Supports and Transformers._

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Finally, blessedly, he was alone.

He rejoiced in the solitude that surrounded him. No one, whether human or Cybertronian, was near him for a one-mile radius and the hallway echoed his excited footsteps instead of the loud talk of voices. After 11 months of nothing but a flurry of activity, between acting as the Ambassador to the Autobots, hunting down the alarming number of new Decepticons that had made landfall, battling the ones that were already on Earth, and attempting to work out the various problems with Wheeljacks and his new invention, Sam had had no time to himself nor any breaks. And it had started to drive him slowly nuts.

Mikaela had (slyly he would add) mentioned casually in front of Ratchet about how tired and ill he looked. He had panicked momentarily before Ratchet had swooped down upon him and was scanning him with everything he had on his frame. Sam had tried to get out of it, coming up with an excuse about something-or-other, but the medic had ignored his weak attempts at escaping and prescribed him one week off, no excuses. Optimus and Lennox, who had both been in the room, quickly agreed with this.

Even though he had been ordered to rest, he had still not been left alone. Everywhere he went, someone had always followed. Bumblebee. Optimus. Ratchet. Ironhide. Lennox. Epps. Annabelle. A General who wished to talk about something-or-other. Mikaela (though he didn't mind that she had followed him into the shower one day.) He had taken their company with a practiced, patient smile. Talked with them, laughed, given his views on certain things, while inside he was screaming to be left alone.

Six days into his relaxation week and not a moment had been spent in his own company.

So today, while everyone was out dealing with an Decepticon attack in London, England, Mikaela and Ratchet preparing the medbay for their return, Sam found himself secretly slipping into his and Wheeljacks invention. He knew he was breaking his promise of relaxation to Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Mikaela (basically everyone on base, really) but something had been nagging him for the last day and wouldn't leave him be. So when the alarm had come in about the Decepticon attack, he had quickly rushed over to the hanger, slipping in and out of soldiers running to the planes, to take care of the nagging thought. He would be quick about it, though, but would happily get the solitude he craved.

Sam walked into the control room and powered up the invention. A number of various equipment glowed to life, making the control room shine a dull blue and computers beeped as their hard-drivers were activated. He sat at the giant keyboard for a moment, typing quickly away, before quietly slipping a vest on and grabbing an automatic handgun. There was no need to take the larger weapons out, he planned on only going into the default level. For privacy, and so he wouldn't be found out, he turned his comm link off, although that set him an fifteen minute time limit before Mikaela came looking for him. Ready, he picked up the remote that would allow him to control the invention from inside and, twisting the black wedding band on his finger, adored with silver Cybertronian symbols (courtesy of the Autobots) walked into the large, circular room.

Sweet, sweet solitude.

* * *

_**And there it is. My attempted at starting anew with The Simulator. **_

_**I'm not going to bother writing a half a page here.**_

_**Review and tell me what you think. Happy with the new start? Angry? Tell me all about it.**_


	2. I: The Invention

_Authors Note: Some parts of this chapter will possibly be identical to those of the failed first chapter and the general plot line for the chapter hasn't changed very much. For a better explanation than the one on my page about why I changed it is at the bottom of the page._

_Diageo Garcia is located below the equator, so their summer is our winter. Just so you don't get confused._

_And when I say 'the Twins' in this chapter, I'm talking about Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Also, when Bumblebee is talking over his comm link it sounds like an automated voice reading a text message._

_Disclaimer: Don't own Transformers. Simple as that. Enjoy!_

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_January 12 2015 10:58 am- Network Elements: Supporters and Transformers._

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The NEST base, located on the island of Diageo Garcia, was into the heated days of summer. The sun scorched down from an impossibly blue, cloudless sky, and a tropical breeze graced the tiny island, courtesy of the Indian Ocean. The bases occupants had decided that since the Decepticons had been non-existed for the last three weeks, and it didn't look as though they would attack anytime soon, they were going to take full advantage of the wonderful weather and spent every moment they could on the sunny beaches. Their commanding officers had complained, saying that they need to be at their respective station just in case an attack did occur. But Major Lennox had stepped in, saying that the men, and women, needed a break, that they had earned one.

So the main hangers and buildings on the island were relatively quiet, a few people filtering in and out of them to check their stations. They would always walk away with uneasy looks across their faces, as though the lack of Decepticon activity concerned them. But, other then the concerns over the Decepticons, or lack of, an almost calm had settled over NEST. There we no meetings to attend, no fallen soldiers to honour, no government officials to argue with. Just a wonderful and peaceful calm that everyone was bracing happily.

Almost everyone.

"There has got to be a reason for their lack of activity," Epps said, leaning against a wall, arms crossed. "The 'cons have never been this…silent before. Its unnervin'."

Titled back in a chair, legs thrown up on the table in front of him, and an uninteresting report about NEST's budget resting in his lap, Lennox glanced over at Epps. The medium sized hanger that had unofficially been dubbed 'The Rec Room', made up of various tattered couches, tables, and one corner that was completely dominated by the children living on base, seemed to echo Epps' comment. The Autobots had gathered there to discuss the Decepticons, an half-and hour after Lennox had settled down to read his way sluggishly through the report, and then Epps had appeared. He had listened with half an ear to their discussion, focusing most of his attention on the papers resting in his lap, and they had respectively left him alone. But now, Lennox decided that the better use of his time would be well spent talking with the Autobots.

"Their probably planning something big." Lennox cut-in, throwing the report on the table.

Ironhide grunted. "Possible, but what about the minimal to no landfall of new Decepticons? In the last year alone there have been sixteen Decepticon landfalls and suddenly they decrease abruptly? Its far to strange for my liking. We had detected signals of more 'cons as far as Jupiter, an alarming number of 'cons, and had estimated that they would be arriving in a short while but suddenly their signals disappeared, as though they had decided to head away from Earth."

"Yes, it is indeed strange," agreed Kup, one of the new arrivals. He watched a bird fluttered past the open hanger doors, curiosity on his faceplate. "What was that creature?"

"Probably a seagull," answered Ratchet, glancing in the same direction.

"But we are no where near a sea," Kup said, confused. "Should it not be called an 'Oceangull'?"

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker snickered.

"Nevermind, Kup," Arcee said kindly, "We'll explain it later."

Ironhide growled. "Can we focus on the slaggin' issue _before _I decide to blow one of you glitch-heads up?!"

"Blow anyone up, Ironhide," snarled Ratchet, pointing a threatening finger. "And I will disable your fragging cannons."

Smacking the finger away, Ironhide glared. "Its not like you have had anything else to do since the pit-spawned Decepticons haven't been attacking. Your medbay had been a 'ghost town' for the last month. If I blew someone up you'd have someone to repair, _Hatchet._"

Ratchet narrowed his optics and cycled his vents angrily. "You're just looking for a reason to use your cannons," he hissed, dangerously. "You slagging _old_ mech."

"Here we go," muttered Lennox, standing up from the table and wisely giving the two mechs some room. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were bouncing on they're tires with glee.

Ironhides cannons glowed. "You're just _asking _to be blown up, aren't you?!"

"If it saves me from your slagging stupidity and everyone else, then by all means go ahead!"

Optimus, standing by the hanger door, sighed. It appeared that their meeting was going to go unfinished for today. He sent a quick message over the comm link informing the others that the conference was concluded and watched as Arcee and Kup walked away together, Kup listening attentively as Arcee explained what a Seagull was. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, seeing an opportunity to create mayhem, both scurried into a corner, giving the two arguing mechs a wide berth and unhelpfully egging them on.

Optimus watched his Weapon Specialist and CMO fight for a few more nanoseconds before turning his massive head to stare out the open hanger door. The ocean was visible from there, sunlight glinting off the waves. He would allow Ironhide and Ratchet to continue arguing for a few more moments before he intervened. Both of them needed to blow some steam off (as the humans said) anyway, since the lack of Decepticons activity had them on edge.

The Decepticons. Uneasiness filled his spark. The other Autobots had only started to become concerned about their lack of activity a few days ago but it had been the singular thought on his processor for two weeks now. Why the prolonged silence? When would they break it? And most importantly, what were they planning? It wasn't like the Decepticons to remain low (although his brother choose to remain hidden, only coming out to fight when he viewed it as necessary. It would usually create a sense of panic and fear that way). Usually, after being defeated, they would fall back and attack again within a few weeks. And since the landfall of arriving Decepticons had skyrocketed in the last couple of years, NEST had been fighting on almost a weekly bases.

He knew that the Autobots and NEST members were relishing in the break that had been presented to them, something that was often to few and far apart, and Optimus hated to think that maybe he should sent a few of them to the three possible Decepticon bases to search for any hinted of what they were up to. A dangerous mission but a necessary one. If the Decepticons didn't appear in the next week, he'd have no choose. The long silence was starting to become unsettling.

A squeal of tires reached his audio receptors and Optimus was torn from his train of thought. A bright yellow Camero had tightly skidded around the corner of a building and was racing towards the rec room hanger, loud music blaring. The sun glared off the hood and Optimus dimly noted that the two front seats were empty. He looked around, although his scanners would have picked up the two humans he was searching for in a millisecond. No Sam or Mikaela in a one mile radius. Optimus shuttered his optics. Nothing could have happened to them or else Bumblebee would be in a panic instead of a content mood. It was not unusual, however, and since the Decepticons lack of appearance it had become more frequent, for Sam to disappear for hours on end with Wheeljack. Mikaela would usually follow him unless needed elsewhere and Bumblebee would vanish with them also. So Optimus decided not to worry about their whereabouts.

Bumblebee neared the hanger, speed staying the same, before rolling into his Transformation. Gears and plates clicked in place and he waved cheerfully at his leader, who nodded back. Ironhide, Ratchet and the Twins continued to argue unaware that the scout had joined them, and Lennox and Epps quickly waved at him before turning back to Epps' cell phone. Bumblebee turned his music off and stepped into the hanger, shuttering his optics at the arguing mech. Confusion crossed his faceplate.

"_What's going on?" _Bumblebee asked, _"Why are they arguing?"_

"_Ironhide called Ratchet _'Hatchet' _and Ratchet then called Ironhide an old mech," _Optimus explained warily. _"Though I do believe they have moved onto a different topic."_

Bumblebee twittered in amusement. _"They're calling each other names? Wow, very juvenile, even for them."_

"_Well, I do know of another juvenile," _Optimus said, eyes twinkling. _"That proceed to call Skids and Mudflap names before welding them to a support beam in the firing range while they were in recharge. They were there for a few hours before anyone found them."_

"_I-uh-really?" _Bumblebee stuttered innocently. _"Do you know who did it?"_

Optimus smiled down at the nervous scout. _"Well, I have a guess as to who committed it."_

"_Oh- umm…who?"_

Optimus didn't answer, continuing to stare at Bumblebee instead optic ridge raised.

Bumblebee attempted not to look anxious under Optimus' glance, shuffling from one foot to the other. _"Sorry, sir," _muttered Bumblebee.

"_Just don't do it again, okay?"_

Bumblebee smiled cheekily. _"I'm not sure that I can promise that, sir."_

"_Bumblebee…" _Optimus said disapprovingly.

"_It won't happen again," _Bumblebee said quickly, then added. _"How did you know that I did it?"_

"_You preformed the same prank a few hundred vorns ago on _The Ark _to a recharging Prowl," _Optimus told him. _"The technique in the welding was the same."_

"_Slaggit," _Bumblebee grumbled.

Optimus half-smiled. _"Quite so."_

Bumblebee twittered at him. They fell silent, watching as Ironhide and Ratchet both waved their weapons in each others faces. Lennox and Epps, sensing that things make get out of hand, had retreated to the safety of the hanger doors. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had stopped egging the arguing mechs on feeling that they had helped create enough mayhem. They stood together in a far corner of the Rec Room, chuckling. Optimus was about to step forward, for the fight had been going on for some minutes, when Bumblebee spoke up.

"_Sam needs help with something," _he said absent-mindedly, playing with the wires in his right forearm.

Prime stopped and stared down at his most trusted scout. He had not seen the Ambassador, nor his wife, for a number of days now, relying on updates from Wheeljack and Bumblebee to inform him that they was all right and still within NEST base. Ratchet had also started to show concern at the absence of his junior apprentice, failing a number of times in contacting her. The apartment that Sam and Mikaela shared on base had been dark and quiet, not a living soul with in its walls and Wheeljack or Bumblebee would not hold forth any clue as to their whereabouts, sealing their mouth plates when the question was brought up.

"_Where are they?" _Optimus asked.

"_He and Wheeljack need test subjects," _Bumblebee continued, ignoring Primes question, _"and since I was aware that you and the others were not doing anything of importance, I volunteered you."_

"_Test subjects?" _Optimus said unenthusiastically. _"What for?"_

"_Not his exact words," _Bumblebee replied distractedly. _"And for that invention they've been working on. Sam says its done, all that's left is to run a test with a few humans and 'bots inside, make sure everything is up and functioning the way it is suppose to."_

"_The invention that used half a million dollars of NEST funding?"_

Bumblebee nodded.

"_What is the invention?" _Prime asked. He felt as though it was a good idea to know what they were about to deal with.

"_I've been instructed not to tell," _Bumblebee informed him happily. _"Sorry, sir."_

Optimus looked down at Bumblebee, a frown adoring his face plate. He had not always been willing to participate in one of Wheeljacks inventions, choosing first to know how it functioned (Wheeljacks inventions had a slight tendency to unexpectedly blow up). Bumblebee smiled up at him, light blue optics dancing in silent laughter.

"_Don't worry," _Bumblebee declared optimistically, sensing his leaders thoughts. _"Sam's checked and rechecked everything to make sure that the invention won't blow up. He's declared it perfectly safe."_

Bumblebee continued to grin at him, excitement vibrating throughout his frame. Optimus sighed and glanced at the arguing Weapon Specialist and CMO. Maybe whatever this invention was, it could help them blow of pent up energy and steam, saving a few of NEST's hangers and buildings in the process (and from the way Ironhides cannons were crackling dangerously, it wouldn't be to long before that happened.)

"_All right," _Optimus told Bumblebee. _"We will try this invention out."_

The scout chirped enthusiastically and the doors on his back fluttered in excitement.

Ironhide and Ratchet had taken to screaming at one another in Cybertronian, the rafters over the heads quivering at their loud voices. Lennox and Epps stood at the hanger doors, hands covering their ears. Optimus sighed again. Sometimes it felt as though he was in command of a army of younglings, although he wouldn't change that fact for all of Cybertron. Sometimes it had helped to keep him sane.

"Enough!" Optimus thundered. Ironhide and Ratchet immediately fell silent, both straightening up and putting their weapons away. Their vents were cycling loudly and they continued to stare at one another.

"I do not wish to hear another syllable concerning your topic of argument, am I understood?" Prime carried on, tone commanding. "If I do, I will have Prowl lock you both in the brig."

"Yes, Prime." Ratchet muttered angrily.

Ironhide nodded stiffly. "Sorry, Prime."

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe snickered. "One of the best fights, _ever." _Sideswipe chocked out. "I'm so glad I recorded it."

Ironhide whipped around and stomped over to the Twins, jabbing Sideswipe in the chest and pushing him into his twin. "Delete it," hissed Ironhide, "_Now."_

"Watch my paint, you stupid glitch-head!" Sunstreaker shrieked, shoving Sideswipe off him. "You'll scratch it!"

"Whatever you vain aft-hole!" Sideswipe resorted and he quickly swiped a finger over his twins chest plate, leaving a long scrape. Ironhide smirked in satisfaction and backed away.

Sunstreaker release a vent full of shocked and angry air. But before he could do anything besides stare murderously at his twin, Optimus was between them, hands gripping their shoulders.

"I said _enough," _he stressed. Primus help him. "Now, Bumblebee has just informed me that Sam and Wheeljack need assistance with one of their inventions."

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe looked terrified. "Oh, Primus no," Sideswipe chocked out. "You volunteered us, didn't you? Please tell me that you didn't!"

"Yes, in fact I did," Optimus said, releasing his hold on the Twins. "_All _of us," he added, glaring at Ironhide and Ratchet. "They would also like it if Lennox and Epps joined too."

"Sounds like fun," piped-in Lennox. "I'll go."

"Like we have anything else to do," said Epps, storing his cell phone away in his front pocket.

"Suicidal humans," muttered Sunstreaker.

Ironhide looked doubtful, though he attempted to hide it behind a mask of collected calm. He rubbed his crackling cannons. "Will I be able to blow things up?"

Bumblebee, who had been standing quietly by the hanger doors, chirped in the affirmative. He was bouncing eagerly on the balls of his feet.

"I'm in."

"One of you slagging aft-heads is going to get hurt," mumbled Ratchet angrily. "And then I'll have to fragging repair you…"

"Is that a yes or a no?" Ironhide snapped.

"It's a _yes,_" hissed the medic. He grumbled in Cybertronian, shoved past Ironhide and walked out of the hanger into the bright sunshine.

Bumblebee clicked happily, although it was laced with a hint of slight uncertainty, and followed Ratchet outside. He folded down into a Camero and idled patiently until everyone else was ready. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe walked respectively past Optimus, glaring at one another. Optimus sighed inwardly and made a small memo for Prowl to keep an even closer watch on the Twins (Sunstreaker would attempted to get revenge on Sideswipe for ruining his paint job before the day was done) before walking out of the hanger. Lennox and Epps had climbed into Ironhides cab, trotting with caution and Optimus transformed into his alt-mode.

As soon as Primes last wheel hit the tarmac, Bumblebee took off, deserted lawn chairs tumbling in his awake. Reaching speeds at over 120 miles an hour, he locked his tires and screeched around a hanger out of sight, skid marks appearing on the ground. Everyone sat shocked before quickly following him, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe drifting around the hanger corner. Ironhide was shaking with silent laughter.

"Why the _hell _is he so eager?" Epps asked blankly, clutching Ironhides dashboard.

Lennox shrugged. "Beats me."

"Bumblebee is always eager when it comes to Wheeljacks inventions," Ironhide informed them, banking around yet another building. "He is the only one that will actually go near the invention before it has been proven completely safe. Ratchet has had to replace the younglings arm quiet a few times because he had gone near an unstable one. I assume that since Sam, his 'best friend' for over nine years, has had a major role in created this particular invention, it has gotten Bumblebee extra enthusiastic."

"Right," Lennox said, "Right."

Bumblebee continued to race ahead with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. They weaved in and out of stationary airplanes and deserted military vehicles, the Twins racing one another. The other Autobots struggled to keep pace with them until Optimus finally had to order them to slow down. Bumblebee stopped completely, sinking sheepishly on his tires, as the Twins drove around in impatient circles. Lennox and Epps snorted in amusement.

Finally, they reached a small hanger build at the very end of the island. Optimus recalled it being build a few months prier. Bumblebee rolled into his transformation and stood wait for the others to follow his lead. He quickly ushered everyone inside, clicking apologetically at Prime, who had to bent down to enter the low ceiling building. They stood in a tight group as Bumblebee pulled the hanger doors shut and side-stepped over to a large panel build into the left wall.

"So where this invention?" Lennox asked, rubbing his hands together.

"_Underground," _Bumblebee answered via comm link. He closed the panel and joined the group.

Both Lennox and Epps nodded in understanding. Both were wearing a small blue tooth type of device in their ears that allowed them to be connected to the Autobots comm links. Invented by Sam, it allowed them to communicate with the Autobots better in battle, whether they were a hundred feet away or separated by a few miles. The size of a dime and flesh coloured, they were virtually impossible to remove without the owners approval and required a pinkie-scan to be taken out of the ear. When Sam had first presented the idea, the Autobots had immediately agreed but Lennox had been sceptical. What was the point of it when they could very well use a radio? But after a particularly difficult battle with the Decepticons in South America, when they had been separated by fifty miles and an EMP burst had destroyed their communication equipment, Lennox had reconsidered. Maybe it was a smart idea to have a comm link that connected with the Autobots. It would certainly allow them to work better as a group and Sam had promised that any EMP burst, whether human or alien, would not be able to knock it out. So Lennox had quietly given him the funding he needed. A month later, Sam had present what he simply called 'The Comm Link.' It tapped into the Autobots comm link and would not falter, as Sam described it, whether they were on the other side of the world or the dark side of the moon. It had only been meant to be worn in battle but they had taken to wearing them everywhere. Only Lennox, Epps, Sam and Mikaela had a Comm Link as the Autobots did not feel truly comfortable with the whole of NEST listening in on their private link.

"Underground?" Ratchet acclaimed, surprised. "Why there?"

"_It was the only places large enough to fit it," _answered Bumblebee. _"Anyway, half of NEST is build underground. Wheeljack and Sam both agreed that having it underground would be a lot safer, just in case."_

The floor beneath them gave a shutter and the group suddenly found themselves being swallowed by the earth. Everyone waited patiently, use to entering NEST this way. They descended into the dark, the patch of light above them disappearing as a hologram replaced the missing floor. The large elevator sunk smoothly and rapidly until it grinded softly to a halt. A pair of large doors slide open in front of them and everyone stepped off into a hallway forty-feet tall. Bumblebee turned and opened another panel fixed into a wall well the others stared in amazement.

"_Holy _shit," breath Epps. Lennox nodded slowly in agreement.

The hallway was easily long as it was tall. The floors were constructed entirely of white steel (and how steel could be white was a mystery in itself) that glowed in the lights fixed into the walls. The walls and ceilings were constructed of blue steel, lines of energy flicking down them, creating a sort of zigzagging pattern as they went. Doors were build in various places, obviously meant for both human and Cybertronian. The largest door way was build at the end of the hall, a sign above it that would read 'Do Not Enter' when activated.

"Why the slag does it feel as though I'm standing in _The Ark_?" Ironhide asked lowly.

"I have no idea," answered Ratchet, for a moment forgetting about his and Ironhides previous argument.

"It was possibly Wheeljack's idea to design it this way," Optimus said. He gently tapped a wall. "Although where he found the metal is certainly a mystery."

Lennox and Epps, who had heard much about _The Ark, _glanced at Optimus. "What's so special about the metal?" Lennox asked, "It looks like steel except for the blue paint job."

Ratchet shook his head. "It's a special alloy that's not generally found on Earth nor anywhere in your solar system. I've looked for it," he explained. "When created properly, the metal has a light blue tinted, as you can see. It is undetectable on any scanner without it being rounded, so whatever is build out of the metal is invisible along with those surrounded by it."

Optimus nodded. It would explain why he had been unable to detected Sam and Mikaela.

"What's it called?" Epps said interested.

Ironhide snorted. "The Cybertronian name would be unpronounceable and we are unable to translate the name into English."

"_Wheeljack has decided to call it _'Diamond Metal' _or something to that degree," _Bumblebee said. He pushed past Sideswipe and led the group down the long hallway. Lennox and Epps had to jog to keep up. _"It took him awhile to properly develop it since he had to create most of the minerals and such that he needed and because of the vast amount that was needed."_

"What are the rooms for?" Lennox asked, as they past a door.

Bumblebee twittered. _"Wheeljack has build himself a new lab. He said that it was much safer down here than on the surface and the hanger had currently been using wasn't large enough to hold all of his equipment."_

"Not big enough?" Lennox muttered incredulously. They past another hallway, this one obviously still under construction. Exposed wiring hung from the walls and ceiling, 'Diamond Metal' staked carefully to one side. "Where will that hallway go?"

"_It will connected with another hallway in NEST training area," _Bumblebee said. _"The entrance we had just entered through is a temporary one. Once that corridor is finished, it will be sealed off and the hanger can be used for whatever."_

A doorway to their right hissed open and Mikaela emerged, arms full of equipment. Wearing a gray tank top and army pants, her hair tied back in a messy pony tail, she stopped and smiled at everyone. Ratchet looked visibly relieved to see her after so many days of being absent.

"Hey guys," she said in greeting. She shifted the equipment in her arms and her black wedding band dully reflected the light. "Here to try out the invention, I take it?"

"We were pulled into trying it," muttered Sideswipe darkly. Sunstreaker glared untrusting at the walls and ceiling, as though they would unexpectedly blow up on him.

"Oh, stop being such a sparkling," Ratchet snapped.

Mikaela raised an eyebrow. "Well, they have everything ready," she said, starting down the rest of the wall. "Wheeljack is itching to get it started."

"That's not usually a good sign," mumbled Sunstreaker, following Mikaela and Bumblebee to the doors at the end of the hallway.

Mikaela stopped, and set the equipment on her arms on the ground. Optimus briefly got a glance of what appeared to be vests, before Mikaela shifted the equipment out of side. She entered a code on the touch screen to the left of the door. It beeped, a tiny red light flashing as it processed the code before the light turned green and the giant doors hissed open. She stooped and gathered the gear back up before walking through the doors, looking back at them all, Bumblebee following.

After a brief hesitation, they entered, Ironhide dragging the reluctant Twins by their arms. Optimus gave the long hallway one more sweeping look before walking through the doorway. He was few steps in when he accidentally bumped into a stationary Ratchet.

He muttered a quick apology but it appeared that Ratchet had not noticed. He simply continued to stare in amazement. Optimus raised an eye ridge and looked around the room he had just entered.

The room was circular and glowed blue-white, energy zipping along the forty-five foot tall walls. It appeared to be constructed entirely of the same alloy as the corridor. No lights shone from the large dome capping the room above, although upon closer inspection he could make out a million tiny pinprick sized holes in one sheet of the metal, with what appeared to be camera lens in them. Build into the middle of the floor was a large circular white light, shining dully, that pulsed softly every few moments, sending ripples of light across the metal and crawled a few feet up the walls before disappearing. The room carried both a human and Cybertronian feeling to it.

Off to the left was another much smaller room. Shaped in the size of a capsule, various piece of equipment, from large computers to plans mounted on the walls, could be seen through the glass, the only part of the room that was not constructed of the metal.

"All right," stuttered Epps, turning in a full circle. "I'm impressed."

"Yeah," Lennox breathed. "But what the hell is it?"

Optimus viewed this as a fair question.

"It's the invention Wheeljack and myself have been working on for more than a year," came Sam's voice. He strolled into the circular room, the giant doors hissing shut behind him. A white lab coat, stained in various places, was thrown carelessly over top his casual clothing. Twisting a ballpoint pen in one hand and a binder stuffed with notes tucked under his right arm, Sam came to a stop beside Bumblebee's foot.

"Well, look whose still among the living," said Lennox sarcastically. He glared, though not unkindly, at the Ambassador. "Where the hell have you been?"

Sam smirked. "Where the hell have I _not _been?"

Bumblebee twittered in amusement.

Epps raised an eyebrow. "Obviously not with us," he said. "Man, we haven't seen you for, like, a week. You know how worried we've been?"

"Quite worried, I take it."

"You had us running up the walls. Try checking in every once and a while so we at least know you haven't been kidnapped or something."

Sam smiled, as though the idea of being kidnapped was amusing to him. "Bumblebee knew that I was all right," he said. "And from what he's told me, he had been giving you daily updates. So there's nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about," muttered Epps. He crossed his arms.

Sam sighed. "And if you really want to know, I've been down here the whole week, trying to get this-" he waved his left hand around, "-working properly. So there's really no need to freak out at me."

"I'm not freaking out, I just want-"

Lennox elbowed Epps in the stomach. "Yell at him later," he said. "Right now I want to know what this thing is."

"I believe we all do," Ratchet commented. He was bent over, examining the metal plating lining the walls, head titled to one side in curiosity. "Why are there camera's build into the metal?"

"All in good time, Ratchet," Sam told him. He threw the binder onto the ground and clasped his hands together eagerly. Excitement was written on his face. "Gentlemen, Mech's, welcome to The Simulator."

"The what?" Sunstreaker said, staring down at Sam.

"The Simulator," Sam said patiently. It was clearly written on his face that he had excepted them not to understand him at first. "It is something that will better help us prepare against the Decepticons."

"Okay," Ironhide grunted. "And how will it do this?"

"By projecting a false battle around you or any other scenario you wish."

"And what?" Sideswipe said sarcastically. It was apparent that he viewed the whole thing as ridiculous. "We fight the images?"

Sam smiled. "Precisely."

Sideswiped looked at him as though he had lost his mind. "But _how? _There images! You can't touch them, let alone fight them!"

"But your holograms are nothing more than images also," Sam said calmly, "and yet we can touch them."

Sideswipe blinked at the Ambassador, as though the thought had not occurred to him.

"It is the same technology as your holograms," Sam explained. "Only on a much larger scale. We'll projected an image, or rather, if you prefer, a hologram around you, and you'll be able to fight it. Like I said, it will help us better prepare against the Decepticons."

"That…actually sounds like a good idea," Ratchet said thoughtfully. "We'll be able to strategies against anything, plan out every battle."

Sam threw his hands out. "That's the general idea," he exclaimed happily. "And you lucky bastards will being testing it out, as Bumblebee informed you."

"Which just sounds _great_," mumbled Sunstreaker.

"Relax," Sam said. "It won't blow up on you or anything."

"Right."

"It is nice to know, Sunstreaker, that you have the utmost confidence in my abilities as an inventor," said Wheeljacks warming tones. He had walked into The Simulator unnoticed, his eighteen foot-tall frame standing quietly beside the tall doors. The fins on the side of his head flashed orange as he walked slowly over, the expression on his face suggesting that he was not entirely there. He stopped beside Optimus, barely passing his hip. "Anyway, your concerns are unnecessary as Sam here has kindly checked over everything to make sure that it is run smoothly and will not present us with any form of trouble."

"Thank Primus," muttered Ironhide quietly.

Optimus smiled in amusement. It was truly a sight to behold when all of his battled-hardened Autobots, having survived one vicious battle after another, cowered at the sight of one of Wheeljacks newest inventions.

"So no need to worry, Sunstreaker, everything is working at one hundred percent," Sam said.

Wheeljack frowned. "Well, not everything," he said absently. "I'm still having difficulty getting the security system to function properly. For some reason it keeps shutting itself down." The thought seemed to concern him profoundly.

"Don't worry," Sam told him. "You'll figure it out. But we really should get on with the test."

Wheeljack's fins flashed yellow in excitement. "Yes, yes of course!" He cried, clapping his hands together. "Silly of me to hold you up. I'll go power up The Simulator while you explain how it functions to Prime and them. Come, Mikaela, you can help me." He added, scooping Mikaela up and walking from the room, the doors hissing shut behind him.

Sam strolled over to the equipment that Mikaela had placed on the floor. "All right," he started, "The Simulator works like a video game. There are thirty levels, each level becoming harder as you go. Obviously one is the easiest, while thirty is the hardest, acting like the end of the world. There is a default level but that's nothing more than someplace that we could enter safely without having to fight our way out. The only way the simulation will come to an end is if you manage to beat the level or you ask the person in the Control Room to end it for you. And there always has to be a person in the Control Room, for safety reasons, no matter what.

"We can set the simulation to anything thing you wish. Where the battle takes place, what the weather conditions are, whether it would take place during the day or night, season, if your in a crowded area, if you want to enter the fight at the beginning or middle. Who you're fighting. Things like that."

Ironhide rubbed his hands together eagerly. "I like the sound of that," he purred.

Ratchet nodded in agreement.

"And," Sam continued, a grin crossing his face. "Its even Ratchet friendly. No one can be hurt by a simulation unless itself inflicted."

"Oh, thank Primus!" Ratchet said happily. Optimus chuckled.

"Although, you can cause harm to the holo-Decepticons," Sam said, bending down and extracting two vest from the pile of equipment. "Blow them up, slice them in half, whatever you fancy."

Ironhide grinned.

"So, if we can't be hurt…" Lennox stated ,eyeing the items in Sam's hands. "What are the vest and helmets for then?"

Sam threw a vest and helemt each at Lennox and Epps. "We wanted the simulation to be real as possible," he said, "and since you never go to battle with out one, we thought it a good idea to have you wear them so it would seem like the real thing. But these vest are different from the ones we usually wear. Build into each of them is a small computer chip. This chip allows the computer to 'see' where you are, which without it would be 'blind'. Now, it will also record whether you should have been hit by something, say a bullet. If you're hit in the hand with a stray bullet, the computer will automatically see that hand as 'blind' and you will not be able to use it. If you are hit with something that should have been fatal, the computer chip in the vest will be turned off and you'll basically be a ghost, unable to help your team mates. The chip also informs the computer how many people are inside The Simulator."

Lennox and Epps slipped the vest on. They were slightly heavier than they were use to.

"We've also developed a disc for you guys," Sam told the Autobots. "They act in just the same way as the vest." He handed Bumblebee six medium sized silver disc. "They won't interfere with your transformation."

Bumblebee turned and handed out the disc, showing them how they attached to their outer thighs.

Sam bend down to pick up the last items laying on the floor. As he did so, a white bandage become visible running along the top of his spine, disappearing into his shirt, the surrounding skin inflamed. Ratchet, who had finished attaching the disc to his thigh, frowned. He had no record of treating such an injury.

"What happened to your back, Sam?"

"Nothing major, Ratchet," Sam said, coolly. "Just a minor accident. I took care of it."

Ratchet narrowed his optic. Sam pretended not to notices.

"Now, you should have no problems with your weaponry while in the simulation," Sam told the Autobots. "If you do happen to come across an issue, just tell us over the comm link and we will fix it." He turned to Lennox and Epps. "Your weapons, though, won't work in The Simulator. So we've designed some that will." He handed them each a handgun and other weapons. If you pull the trigger now, nothing will happen, but if you pull it while in the simulation, it will fire a round off. You will have to reload it. You just hit the bottom of the handle and the chip inside will view it as though you've changed the magazine. Simple really.

"Right, I've done enough talking," Sam concluded, "and I can see Wheeljack itching to start. So, just stand in the middle of the room, on top of the circle of light, and we'll get started. Just don't break it and be careful standing on top of the circle. The power source for the whole thing is underneath it."

Sam waved at them and jogged quickly from the room. The doors hissed closed, a loud snap echoing around them. The Twins had jumped at the noise and were looking around.

"_Relax, you sparklings," _Wheeljack said via comm link. _"I just locked the doors."_

"Are you sure this is safe?" Sideswipe said. "It really doesn't feel safe."

"_Primus…" _muttered Wheeljack.

"_It's safe,_" Sam said, walking to the Control Room. _"I've tried it out a few times and I'm still alive."_

"Yeah, but-"

"Get into the circle," snarled Ironhide, cannons crackling. "I wanna slaggin' get started!"

The Twins scurried into the circle, sensing that they were rubbing Ironhide the wrong way. Ironhide followed, a grin across his face that had made most Decepticons cower. Lennox and Epps were checking over the false weapons they had been handed and seemed to be pleased with what they found. They were the perfect weighed and could have passed off for the real things.

"This is going to be fun," Ironhide growled, "A month and now I finally get to blow a Decepticon to bits."

"Their not real, Ironhide," Optimus said, battle mask sliding into place.

"I know that Prime. But still…"

"_You guys ready?" _Sam's voice said over the comm link.

They looked over at the control room. Sam and Wheeljack were stationed behind the giant control board, Mikaela's arms wrapped Sam's waist. Sam's hand was hovering over an unseen button. Bumblebee waved at them, twittering.

"Hit the play button, man," said Epps keenly.

Smiling in a way that managed to sent chills down their spines, Sam's hand went down on the 'start' button and their world went dark.

* * *

_And there it is people, the new first chapter for __**The Simulator. **__Let me explain somethings before the rotten veggies come flying my way._

_**One) **__The beginning. I wanted to make the main focus of all the Autobots and NEST the lack of Decepticon activity, not Lennox and Ironhide having a ridiculous fight.__There was no real point to it. (Although I guiltily added Optimus and Bumblebee having a longer conversation. I just love writing them talking to one another.) I also wanted to show, though not numbered, how many Decepticons there are._

_**Two) **__I changed the Twins from Skids and Mudflap to Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. I wanted to explore them some more. _

_**Three) **__I decided that Sam and Wheeljacks invention would be kept a secret from the rest of NEST. For 'safety' reasons._

_**Four)**__ I disliked the way I had written…basically everyone._

_**Five) **__I attempted to explain how The Simulator works better. Hopefully I did._

_**Six) **__I added a date and time to the beginning of the chapter. This is important and will happen with every other chapter in this story._

_I realized that I forgot to give Lennox and Epps helmets. So, yeah, I fixed that.  
_

_Right. So review. Tell me what you think. All that jazz._


	3. II: Test Run

_Authors Note: Here it is people, the second chapter. I know I've been promising to post this one for, like, 5 months now, so sorry for the long wait. Just a forewarning, the battle sequence below…lets just say I'm not that good at writing fights yet. I tried my best._

_I came up with a plot line for this way back in October and it went right instead of left. Hopefully it will, uh, 'surprise' you. I can tell you, though, that it is going to be one hell of a ride to write._

_Thank you for all the wonderful reviews!_

_Disclaimer: Don't own Transformers. Simple as that. Enjoy!_

* * *

_January 12 2015 11:48 am- Network Elements: Supporters and Transformers_

* * *

The first thing they all became aware of was the amount of noise and truth be told, it wasn't the sort of sound they had all been excepting. Instead of the deafening bang of guns, screams of fleeing citizens, and falling buildings what met their audio-receptors and ears was the loud chattering of monkeys, the twittering of a thousand or more birds, and the sloshing of rain against the canvas of tree cover.

Then the rest of their senses came rushing back to them, in a way that Epps could only describe as water shifting in your ear, and they saw that they were standing in the middle of a large clearing, tree's taller than Optimus towering around them. Roots clung to a cliff-face to their left, a small babbling brook running merrily along beside it, the rocks and tree trunks tinted green with moss. Vines hung from tree branches, criss-crossing over one another in a continual pattern. Bushes and leaves covered most of the ground and from the angle of the sun hidden behind rain clouds it would have been roughly two o'clock in the afternoon.

Blinking rain water out of his eyes, Lennox frowned. "Okay, where the hell are we?"

Sam's laughter, sounding slightly off, came over the comm link, _"Welcome to the Amazon Rainforest, Gentlemen."_

The Autobots looked around amazed. Epps hide a smile and pretended to check his fake gun. He had forgotten that the Autobots had never been to a place like this before, the Decepticons choosing to always fight in cities or deserts. They looked like kids who had just discovered Aladdin's hidden cave of wonders. Ratchet even bend down to examine a plant growing out of the ground.

Lennox, though, looked a little less then pleased.

"You sent us to the _Amazon Rainforest?!"_

"_I didn't sent you to the Amazon," _said Sam, _"your still at NEST base. I'm just projected an image of it around you. It's very realistic."_

"No kidding," muttered Epps, letting rain water drip onto his hand. His shirt sleeve greedily soaked up the water. "I guess we're going to have to change clothes after this, huh?"

"_Actually, you'll be surprised. Once you're done, any remaining traces of dirt and water should disappear with the simulation." _Sam said. The clicking of keys could be heard over the comm link. Suddenly the rain stopped and a light fog creeped into the clearing.

"But Decepticons don't fight in area's like this!" Lennox complained. The fake gun was hanging loosely at his side. "They fight in heavily populated area's! There's no one here but us!"

"_Yeah, okay,"_ Sam muttered impatiently. _"Maybe you should shut up and listen before you start complaining, smart-one."_

Everyone was slightly taken back by Sam's words. He had never spoken like that before, even on the days when he would become frustrated with everyone around him. He would usually just sulk around, saying little. Lennox had a look of utter surprise on his face.

Epps wondered where the joking, excited Sam from a few moments ago had disappeared too so fast.

After a few moments of shocked silence, Sam spoke again. _"All right," _he said warily. _"Lets just get on with it. The simulation will begin in three minutes time. Five miles to the south is a densely populated city, the focus of the attacking Decepticons. Your objective is to stop them before they reach that city. You have a limited time span, in which you must stop the Decepticons. If you fail to stop them and they reach the city, the simulation will come to an end. Understood?"_

"Understood," replied Ironhide gruffly. "Who are we fighting?"

Wheeljack answered. _"We've decided to test you on level seven, something like a typical fight. You'll have one aerial-Decepticon to eradicate and a few earthbound ones."_

"_Two minutes, fifty seconds,"_ said Sam.

"_Don't concern yourselves to much on damaging The Simulator," _Wheeljack said quickly. _"It can take a heavy beating. All of your weapons combined would hardly create a dent in it and the only actual way to destroy it is by eliminating the power source."_

"_Two minutes, thirty-five seconds."_

Epps felt adrenaline pulse through his veins and he positioned his gun against his shoulder. It felt good, he had to admit, to finally be back fighting the Decepticons after so long a silence. Even if it was just a simulation. It had become part of his daily routine and it was now something he found hard to quit. Around him the Autobots and Lennox were getting into position, Optimus directing them into formation. Ironhide was rubbing his cannons eagerly and Epps had to laugh silent at the unfortunate holo-Decepticon that would soon find itself at the other end of Ironhides weapons.

Around them, nature continued on. Birds flew over head, creatures rustled in the tree branches, and the fog had managed to consume the whole clearing, leaving Lennox and Epps unable to see twenty feet in front of them. They stood motionless, silent, waiting for any sign of the attacking holo-Decepticons. With no indication of which direction the Decepticons would be coming from, they stood in a loose circle.

"_One minute, twenty seconds," _Sam muttered absently.

Everything changed around them as birds and creatures suddenly sensed danger and fled, their terrified screeches filling the air. The noise was too much for Lennox and Epps, their ears buzzing painfully. They were both unable to hear the new noise that had emerged and was quickly drowning out the screams of the animals. The Autobots stood up straight and listened attentively, trying to determine which direction the noise was coming from.

"Defiantly the whine of a jet engine," Sunstreaker observed.

"It sounds as though it is coming from the north," murmured Ratchet.

Ironhide took a few steps to the south. "We'll ambush them," he hissed quietly. "Attempted to stop them before they get to far into the southern jungle. Take cover behind the trees and await my signal."

They ran noiselessly towards the towering tree's, dirt and rainwater flying in their awake. Epps felt sweat run down his back as he flung himself behind a bush. Somehow, and he was willing to bet that it was Sam's doing in the Control Room, the temperature had started to rise, quickly surpassing the normal temperature of a real rainforest. If the simulation had taken place in a desert, the heat would not have bugged him. But since it was coupled with the humidity, Epps found himself becoming physically uncomfortable.

Around him, the Autobots had gotten into position. Bumblebee was closes to him, crouching behind the trunk of a tree that easily cleared forty-feet. The scout winked down at him and slide his battle mask into place, cracking his large fingers. Epps gripped his gun tightly.

"_Forty seconds."_

"_Bumblebee, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, I want you to keep the earth bound Decepticons as close to the clearing as possible," _Optimus ordered quietly via comm link. _"Do not let them pass that small river up ahead. Ratchet, Ironhide and myself will attempted to stop the aerial Decepticon."_

"We'll help with the earth-bound Decepticons," Lennox murmured. He was peering through the branches of the bush he was squatted behind. "Like hell we'll be able to hit an aerial Decepticon through all these dense tree branches."

"_Understood," _said Optimus.

"_If I see you perform jet judo, Prime," _Ratchet snarled, glaring at him from his hiding place. _"I'll lock you in my medbay."_

"_Fifteen seconds…ten, nine…oh, by the way, they know where you're hiding….five…"_

Panic had always seemed to be able to slow time, making seconds tick by at a sluggish rate. The adrenaline already bumping in his veins doubled as every human instinct screamed at him to run, to get out of the path of the rampaging Decepticons. It was not a feeling the Epps generally liked to feel. But what else were you suppose to feel when you fought alien robots that could squish you with the tip of their big toe?

The Autobots had jumped up from their hiding places at Sam's words, Ironhide motioning for them to run west, get out of the line of fire. Optimus was giving new orders, his voice thundering. Epps ran, pushing bushes and grass out of his way. His breath came in great gasp, sweat dripping in to his eyes, as he clambered over a giant tree root, swing his gun onto his back to use both hands. Lennox was beside him, scaling the root as though it was nothing more than the twenty foot wall at boot camp.

If Epps had been a giant walking super-computer, capable of calculating and solving any problem, and being able to listen to many things at once he would have been able to tell that their three minutes were up.

"_One."_

They had barely made it twenty feet from their hiding place when the first missile hit, setting dirt and bits of tree flying. Epps was knocked off his feet and sent flying through the air by the small shockwave. From his left he heard Lennox give a small yell at unexpectedly finding himself airborne. He hit the ground hard. The breath was knocked out of him and he could taste blood coat his tongue. He lay, dazed, as he attempted to get his bearings back.

Sam giggled quietly in his ear, sounding amused. Epps felt a rush of anger and for one bizarre moment want to punch Sam in the jaw. There was nothing funny about almost being hit by a missile!

Suddenly, Lennox was leaning over him. "Get up!" He said, pulling on his arm. "Get up! We have to help Bumblebee and the Twins!"

"Who is it? Who are we fighting?" Epps questioned as he staggered to his feet. The Autobots had not, it seemed, been affected by the shockwave. It had possibly caused them to do nothing more than stumble before they had leaped into action.

"The aerial Decepticon is Sunstorm," Lennox said, jogging quickly towards the clearing, gun positioned against his shoulder. "The other two Decepticons are Wipeout and Barricade."

"Bumblebee has Barricade, I take it?" Epps asked. It was a known fact around base that Bumblebee loathed Barricade as much as the Decepticon hated the Autobot scout.

The ground shook beneath their feet as Lennox answered. "Yep," he gasped out, clambering over yet another tree root. "The clearing was closer than this!"

"_Opps" _said Wheeljack via comm link. _"Hold on, the programming has you stuck in a continual loop"_

Epps heard Sam barely suppress another giggle of amusement. Why was the kid laughing at them? Or was he merely amused by the small problem with the Simulators programming? If that was the case, why did he find it funny?

"_Okay, the clearing should appear on your left," _Wheeljack informed them, clicking on keys. _"Is it there?"_

The forest beside them shimmered, like light reflecting off a pond, before fading away rapidly to reveal an already pot-marked clearing. Bumblebee rolled by, his plasma blaster out, Barricade not far behind. A crunch of metal was heard as the two robots collided.

"Yeah, its there," Lennox said, position his gun against his shoulder again and entering the clearing. Epps followed suit.

In under a time span of a few minutes, the clearing had changed from a beautiful spot to a full out battle field. Tree's had become up rooted, large chucks of earth looked as though they had been scooped out by a spoon and small vegetation had been flattened. The small cliff by the babbling brook had crumbled, rock clogging the waters path and, it sickened Epps slightly, the small, dead bodies of squished animals littered the ground.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were on the far side of the clearing, attempting to take down the much bigger Decepticon. The golden Twin was wearing a slightly insane expression as he mercilessly ripped off one of Wipeouts missiles launchers.

Epps lifted his gun and fired a few rounds off, managing to create a decent sized hole in the Decepticons leg and causing the him to stumble. Satisfaction shot through him. Wipeout roared in pain and frustration. It echoed through out the clearing. He threw Sideswipe into his twin and glanced wildly around. His small, ruby red eyes found Epps.

"You fragging insect!" Wipeout snarled. "I'm gonna squish you under my foot for th-"

He was cut off as Lennox fired a few rounds into his faceplate. Chunks of metal and wire went flying. The Decepticon screamed once more in pain, as one of his optics fell out and energon ran down on to his chest.

"Nice shot, man," Epps said loudly, firing his gun again while Wipeout was temporarily unable to do anything.

"Thanks!" Lennox shouted, running closer to Wipeout.

The Twins had managed to regain their footing (Sunstreaker looking livid) and both succeed in tackling the Decepticon. All three went down in an ear shattering crash. Sideswipe punched the Decepticon on his injured faceplate and small pieces of sharp metal came raining down on Epps. He quickly lifted his arms to protect his face from the bits of metal and felt a curious sensation in his trigger hand.

It felt as though his hand wasn't there anymore or had simply gone completely numb. Epps forgot what was going on around him and gazed down. His hand was still attached to his dirt covered arm and he was able to wiggle his fingers. So, then why did it feel the way it did?

"_It was hit with a flying chunk of metal," _Wheeljack said in his ear. _"So the computer chip in your vest has registered it injured and the Simulator can't see your hand anymore."_

Epps didn't get a chance to answer. Bumblebee had let out a warped scream as Barricade threw him across the clearing. The scout hit the ground hard but quickly jumped back to his feet, firing plasma blast after plasma blast. Lennox and the Twins seemed to be handling Wipeout perfectly well on their own so Epps turned his attention to helping Bumblebee. He ran towards the scout and advancing Decepticon, lifted his gun, took aim, and pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

The trigger clicked uselessly underneath Epps's finger, almost in a mocking fashion. He stared at the gun a moment, gave it the slightest shake, and tried again. Still nothing.

"_The gun is not going to work, Epps," _muttered Sam. He sounded bored. _"No matter how many times you shake it. Since the Simulator can't see your hand, you can't use the gun. Simple as one, two, three."_

"_Try switching hands," _Wheeljack suggested.

Epps felt uncertainty in his stomach as he positioned his now 'useless' hand underneath the barrel of the gun. He had never been the greatest shooter with his left hand, fifty percent of the time missing the target. His left index finger felt uncomfortable against the trigger.

Bumblebee and Barricade were locked together again, both attempting to get the upper hand. Bumblebee swiftly jabbed Barricade in the shoulder with his forearm electric stingers, forcing the Decepticon away from him. Epps positioned himself and when Barricades back was facing him, fired off a shot. It soared past Barricade and hit one of the doors on Bumblebee's back. It did nothing more than fade through the door but the slight surprise on the scouts face told Epps that it had suddenly become numb. Epps let out a groan of frustration.

"I'm sorry, Bumblebee," Epps said angrily.

"_That's fine," _grunted the scout. Barricade slammed him to the ground and punched him in the side of his faceplate. Bumblebee managed to grab a hold of Barricades left hand and snapped a few fingers off. _"I'm gonna push him off me and he should fly a twenty-feet to the east. Think you can hit him while he's airborne?"_

"Should be able too."

"_On three. One…two…three!" _On three, Bumblebee slammed his feet into Barricades chest plate, creating a reasonable sized dent and sending the Decepticon flying. Epps fired off shot after shot and was able to hit Barricade in various places. Coupled with Bumblebee's quickly fired plasma shots, Barricade hit the ground twitching. His right leg was hanging from his frame, plates of his armour were missing, his left arm had been ripped out from the elbow joint, and energon flooded the ground. The Decepticon made no attempt to get back on his feet, laying on the ground groaning.

Bumblebee limped over, plasma blaster transforming back into his hand. He stopped beside the Decepticon and mercilessly kicked Barricade onto his back. Barricades optics were moving around in a dizzy fashion. Bumblebee twittered, ripped the plating from Barricades chest and plunged a hand into the small hole that appeared. His arm twisted and he pulled Barricades spark from his chest. Looking coldly down at the twitching Decepticon, who's red eyes were fading rapidly, he crushed it.

Epps stared down at the ground, fingers tapping his gun. He felt bile rise in his throat and swallowed hard. It had always amazed (and scared) him slightly how Bumblebee, who was normally bubbly and wouldn't dare hurt a fly, could become so cold and cruel, and ruthlessly rip a Decepticons spark out. Epps could not fathom ripping out someone's life force and crushing it before their dying eyes. It just did not seem right.

The scout dusted his hands off, and looked down at Epps. _"Are you all right?" _He asked, as though they were not standing beside a dead body.

"Ye-yeah," muttered Epps, forcing himself to look in to Bumblebee's face. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Man, that was harder than I thought!" Lennox stated, walking over. Sweat was running down his face. "Wipeouts usually doesn't put up that much of a fight."

"Oh, you don't know him that well yet," stated Sideswipe grimly. "Considering you've only fought him a few times. Believe me, though, _that_ was how he normally fights."

"Slagging aft-hole," snarled Sunstreaker. He was examining a large dent in his shin-plate.

"How are Prime and them doing?" Lennox asked.

"_Good question," _saidBumblebee, concerned.

"_Well, we could use your help if you've finished!" _Ironhide screamed over the comm link. _"The genius medic has gotten himself taken out of the game!"_

"_Frag you, Ironhide!" _Ratchet shrieked. _"If you had been watching where you were going, then I wouldn't be out!"_

"_Three-and-a-half miles from your current position," _Optimus grunted painfully. The loud whine of a jet engine could be heard and then a crash.

"_I said no jet judo, Prime!" _

"_Shut it, Ratchet! At least Prime got him on the slagging ground! Its more than you've done this whole simulation!"_

"_So help me Primus, Ironhide!"_

"We're on our way, Prime," Lennox answered.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were already running into the southern forest, following the very helpful path that the others had created in the chase for Sunstorm. Bumblebee gazed once more around the clearing, as though making sure that the holo-Decepticons were really dead, before tearing after the Twins. Lennox and Epps followed.

It did not take long to locate the others. The amount of racket they were making was more than enough help. The sound of cracking bark, Ironhides cannons, crunching metal and Ratchets screams reached their ears and audio-receptors as they hurled between the trees. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were the first to arrive and immediately jumped into action, pulled Sunstorm off of Ironhide. Next came Bumblebee, who delivered a right hook to Sunstorm guts, making the Decepticon double over.

Lennox and Epps were the last to arrive but they did not enter the fight. Epps knew that it was simply stupid to come within twenty feet of six battling robots. The chances were that they were accidentally get stepped on and either substance heavy injuries or die. So they stayed well back, firing off shots when ever they could.

Epps could see why Ironhide and Optimus had requested backup. Both, he knew, could take out much larger Decepticons on their own (Shanghai was a perfect example of this) but the surrounding trees and vegetation made it quite difficult for them to move. Ironhide, the bulkiest of the Autobots, had trouble manoeuvring around trees, often having to blast his way through. Optimus, being the tallest, would get caught in vines and low tree branches. Bumblebee, it seemed, was the only one that could move without difficulty. His small sized allowed him to move around without problem and it was him who would deliver the heaviest blows.

The fight between the five Autobots and Decepticon started to slow considerably after only a few minutes, as Wipeout became more injured. One of the jet engines on his back had been ripped out by a more than blood thirsty Sunstreaker and crushed so that it resembled nothing more than a pile of scrap metal. Dents and gashes littered his armour and energon seeped out of various wounds. Optimus and Bumblebee had, when it became apparent that Wipeout was almost finished, stepped back to allow the Twins (who were having too much fun to stop) and Ironhide to finishes off the holo-Decepticon.

"So, Ratchet," Lennox said casually, as he managed to hit Sunstorm in the shoulder. "How'd you get taken out?"

The CMO snarled and attempted to strip a tree branch of its bark but his hand simply went through it. "Ironhide," Ratchet growled, irritated. He flexed his hand and swiped it a few times through a tree trunk. "He tripped over a tree root and pushed me in the way of an on coming missile. Before I knew what was happened, Wheeljack was telling me I was done."

"Sorry to hear it Ratchet," Epps said. He hit the bottom of his gun to change the magazine. "You'll be able to fight next time, though."

"Yes, well, I-"

A shower of bullets suddenly hit the tree next to them and chunks of bark went flying. Epps and Lennox both gave yells of surprise and jumped out of the line of fire.

"Slaggit, Ironhide!" Ratchet screamed angrily. "Watch where the frag you're aiming!"

"Bit my aft, Hatchet!" Ironhide growled. "Move, you fragging golden aft-hole!"

"_You guys are going to render my deaf by the end of this," _Sam said painfully via comm link. _"Mikaela's already removed her comm link, she couldn't take the screaming."_

"_Well, luckily you guys are almost finished," _Wheeljack said. _"Sunstorm is almost done for and the simulation will come to an end after that. I must say, this is the best test run we've had so far. Just a couple of glitches, easily fixable and-"_

Wheeljack was cut off as the forest gave a very odd sort of shudder and loud groaning sounds were heard, like a ship sinking in the ocean. Everyone creased moving at once. Suddenly, everything flickered in and out, changing back and forth between the Amazon Rainforest and the large, blue room of the Simulator. Trees jumped around, switching places with one another, and for one very short second they found themselves standing in a densely populated city. Epps stood frozen, gripping the fake gun tightly. This continued for a few very tense seconds, before it came to an abrupt halt on the rainforest. Rain continued to fall as though nothing at happened. They all stood still, glancing around.

'_Way to jinx it, Wheeljack," _sighed Sam after a nano-second of complete silence.

"What the hell just happened?" Lennox stuttered, turning on the spot.

"_I have no idea," _Wheeljack said frantically. _"Its-its never done that before!"_

"Great," muttered Sunstreaker darkly. "It _is _going to blow up on us!"

Wheeljack was saved from answering by a very loud roar of rage. It was muffled slightly by the trees but it still managed to make Epps' ears ach. Next second, Bumblebee went flying as a newly repaired Sunstorm threw the Autobot scout off of him. All past damages from before were gone as though someone had wiped them away. The Decepticon gave all of them one look of disgust before punching Optimus (the closed to him) in the side and using the Autobot leader as leverage to get back towards the sky. Optimus attempted to grab a hold of the aerial Decepticon but before he could get a proper grip on the Sunstorm, he had already transformed into an F-15 Eagle and taken off.

They heard a crash from behind them and the next second Barricade and Wipeout were running past.

Everyone stared in bewilderment.

"_I crushed Barricades spark!" _Bumblebee said. _"I killed him! He shouldn't be alive!"_

"And we took out Wipeout!" said the Twins in unison.

"_I don't know what is happening!" _Wheeljack said loudly. _"It looks as though the simulation has started over again!"_

"_I guess you guys are going to have to stop them from reaching the city, while we figure out what just happened." _Sam said, once again sounding bored._ "Although, from our readings, you're still out Ratchet."_

Epps frowned. The kid didn't sound as though he didn't cared that his invention was failing. Beside him, Ratchet made a sound as though he, too, was surprised by Sam's attitude. Epps looked up at him. A suspicious look bloomed across the CMO's faceplate.

"_Can't you just stop the simulation?" _Bumblebee asked. He was tapping the tree nearest him, twittering at it inquisitively.

"I agree with 'Bee," Sideswipe said loudly. "Just stop the simulation before something bad happens! Like-"

"-it blowing up!" Sunstreaker finished for his twin.

The clicking of keys was heard over the comm link and than it was followed by Wheeljacks panicked groan. "I _can't. _For some reason that particular program has been shut down. The only way out is to beat the level or lose."

"Slaggit," Ironhide grumbled before taking off after the three Decepticons. It was obvious that he didn't planning on being beaten by a few holograms. The other Autobots and Lennox followed after doubtful glances at one another.

Epps took a few steps before he realized that Ratchet had not moved. He looked back at the medic. "Aren't you coming, Ratchet?"

"No, no," answered the CMO slowly. His usual brisk manner of speaking was gone, replaced by a thoughtful one. It looked as though he was attempting to figure out a complicated riddle. "I'll just wait here until the simulation is over. I'm of no use anyway…"

"All right," Epps said, looking curiously at he medic. "If you're sure."

As he ran after the others, he heard Ratchet mutter absently, "I'm quite sure, Epps."

Epps quickly caught sight of the others up head, after a very moments of running. Bumblebee was once again locked in combat with Barricade, energon all ready splattering the ground, and the Twins were on top of Wipeout. Epps assumed that Optimus and Ironhide had gone after Sunstorm, as he fired a few rounds at Wipeout.

"_Could it have been a glitch in the programming?" _Wheeljack muttered in his ear.

"_Possibly, but we checked it a thousand and one times for something like this…"_

Sunstreaker was ripped from Wipeouts back by the much larger Decepticon and swung around like a bat, so that he collided with his twin with a deafening crash. Both went tumbling to the ground. Epps and Lennox fired around after around at the Decepticon but Wipeout, unfazed by their attack, lifted his foot and attempted to step on Epps, who dived out of the way. He hit the ground, rolled, and twisted around to fire two quick shots at Wipeouts chest. Armour melted away.

"_Fraggit," _Ironhide snarled in frustration. _"I can't get a clear shot through all these Pit-spawned tree branches!"_

"_Half-a-mile to the city," _Sam said quickly, before going back to his conversation with Wheeljack.

We're not going to win this, Epps thought. There was no way now. They had been so close, too.

"Get off me, you slagging mute piece of Autobot scum!" Barricade roared, twisting Bumblebee's arm behind his back hard and slamming him to the ground.

Bumblebee squirmed and managed to somehow break free of Barricades hold. He flipped the Decepticon over his back, pushed himself off the forest floor, and ripped Barricades right arm from its socket. As large amounts of energon poured from the gaping wounded, Bumblebee tore Barricades head off.

It had been a much quicker fight than back in the clearing, coming to an end in a matter of minutes. But Epps knew that it would have lasted much longer of the Decepticon hadn't called Bumblebee 'mute'. If it was one thing that sent Bumblebee into a completely irritated state, it was the fact he could not speak verbally.

"_Barricades out of the count," _the Scout growled angrily, crushing the Decepticon head in his hands.

"Here, 'Bee," Sideswipe said casually, as his twin brought a very injured Wipeout to his knees. "You can to the honours. Take out the rest of your anger on this slagging excuse… Barricade, calling you _mute, _he was basically signing his own death warrant," he added quietly with a shake of his head.

Epps could only agree.

But before Bumblebee could finish off Wipeout, Ironhide yelled with agitation over the comm link. A very automatic voice then echoed around them.

"_Simulation over."_

* * *

_Well, there you are. I hope it was all right. Like I said, I'm still learning to write combat scenes._

_The hardest question I had to ask myself was "What are Lennox and Epps going to do?" Two humans fighting along side six very capable robots. Needless to say, it took me awhile to figure it out._

_For all that is good and holy, lets ignore geography. I know there is probably not a major, densely populated city on the edge of the Amazon. But we'll just be oblivious do that little fact…_

_It was originally Epps that was going to be taken out of the game but than, during one of my many failed attempts to get a proper eight hours sleep over March Break, a very comical scene of Ironhide tripping over a tree root, waving his arms around wildly, and pushing Ratchet in the path of an on-coming missile came to mind. I laughed myself stupid for five minutes because of it (or maybe it was the fact I hadn't slept in twenty-hours…) _

_I found Wipeout and Sunstorm from a list of Decepticons on Wikipedia. There wasn't a lot of information on them when I clicked the link beside there names, so I'm happily going to molted them into whatever I want._

_Also, about Bumblebee's less than ruthless murder of Barricade… That'll be explained in the next chapter._

_Chapter three won't be long, I have it somewhat written. I just have to finish it off and edit._

_Kup's (introduced in the last chapter), Prowl, Wipeout and Sunstorm's alt-modes linked on my page. Go take a look._

_Review, please!_


End file.
